


Mister Zebracat

by sapphicjasper



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Cuddling, F/F, Fluff, jaspearl - Freeform, takes place shortly after movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:56:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23220589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphicjasper/pseuds/sapphicjasper
Summary: Pearl visits a friend in the woods.
Relationships: Jasper/Pearl (Steven Universe)
Kudos: 46





	Mister Zebracat

The chirping of crickets filled the night air, and the leaves crunched beneath Pearl's feet as she made her way through the woods. An owl hooted from its nest in the trees up above, and she even heard the faint howling of a wolf (or maybe a dog? That was probably more likely.) It was late August, that time of year where the summer and autumn fused in such a lovely way; with the warm temperatures that came with the former, but the scenery and beautiful scents of the latter. 

And as if it had planned to ruin her peaceful moment of solitude, a bat zipped right past her face, causing Pearl to jump backwards in shock. _'Ugh! Disgusting. That's the only thing about doing these visits...'_ Pearl thought with a sigh, readjusting the bag on her shoulder and shaking off her panic. _'She sleeps during the day, and only wants to come out at night... And unfortunately, the most vile and pesky earth creatures happen do the same thing.'_ She shuddered as she remembered her previous encounter with a skunk; the filthy beast had sprayed a _rancid_ substance on her form (which, thankfully, didn't linger for more than a few moments since she was made of light, but _still_!). 

Pearl traveled onward after recollecting herself and, thankfully, didn't encounter any more flying rodents or smelly black-and-white creatures. Soon enough, she was right where she needed to be, and the rocky den lay just atop the rocky slope before her. After making her way to the top, she dropped the bag to the ground with a thud. "Jasper?" 

No response. Ugh, for a gem with such keen senses, her hearing never seemed to be that sharp -- either that, or she was ignoring her. She did have a tendency to be rude like that... With a sigh, Pearl lifted the bag up into her arms again and approached the curtains. "Alright, I'm coming in!" 

But before she could even pull the curtains aside, she was suddenly lifted off of the ground and up into the air. "Get outta my territory before I grind you into dust!" 

If it had been any other scenario, Pearl would have immediately gone into fight mode and lashed out at who-or-whatever had just lifted her up -- but instead, she merely let out a dramatic gasp. "Oh dear heavens! I've been slain by the oh-so-powerful Jasper!" she said as she fell limp in her arms. But she couldn't hold up the act much longer than that, and burst into laughter. 

Jasper snickered and covered Pearl's face with a bunch of little kisses. "You cutie pie. I wasn't expecting you to come and visit tonight." 

"Of course! I promised to do you a favor, didn't I?" Pearl said, gesturing to the bag sitting on the ground a few feet away. 

Jasper set her back down on her feet and gave her a little pat on the back. "Aw, you washed my blankets for me? I'd forgotten I'd asked you to do that, heh. In that case, I'll have mercy on you just for tonight." she said with a wink. 

"I did a _little_ bit more than that, too..." Pearl said, adjusting her jacket and licking her lips. "You'll have to take a peek inside the bag to find out. But first, may we go inside the den? I don't want any more encounters with earth's nocturnal life." 

"That's fair. Wouldn't want my Pearlie getting sprayed again, huh?" Jasper snickered. 

Pearl shuddered. "You're so lucky you don't have a nose. If _you_ had smelled that foul creature, you wouldn't find it so funny." 

"Eh, I probably would." Jasper shrugged; she pulled the curtain aside so Pearl could walk in first, and then followed, pulling it shut behind herself. Pearl turned on her gem flashlight, searching for a comfortable-ish rock to sit on. 

"Ugh, bright." Jasper grumbled, shielding her eyes. 

"Not my fault _you_ were created with night vision." Pearl huffed. "But if it really is grating, could we leave the curtains open? I want to see you, at the very least. I prefer not to sit in complete darkness..." 

"Fine, fine." Jasper said, pushing the curtains aside and allowing the moonlight to cast into the den. She sat down beside Pearl, pulling the blanket out of the bag and draping it over herself. She lifted up a corner of it, as if inviting Pearl in, and the latter scooted herself closer, tucking herself comfortably between Jasper's legs and leaning back against her chest. 

"Ah, I've missed this blanket..." Jasper said, resting her head on top of Pearl's. "Thanks for washing it, princess." 

Pearl reached for one of Jasper's hands, holding it in her lap. "Mm... Anytime, sweetheart." she said with a sigh of content. "Ah! Before we forget, look in the bag! I want you to see what else I brought for you." 

"Ah, right!" Jasper chuckled, reaching into the sack and fishing for whatever it was Pearl was referring to. She wrapped her fingers around something soft and fuzzy... And when she pulled a raggedy plush tiger, she was only even more confused. "What... uh, what is this?" 

"Mister Zebracat." Pearl stated. 

"Excuse me?" 

"It's one of Steven's old toys, heh..." Pearl said, her cheeks flushing a light shade of teal. "Lately he's... he's been getting rid of a lot of his things. Mainly things from his childhood, which makes sense, since he's becoming an adult now, but... I thought you should have Mister Zebracat." 

"Aw, well... That's sweet of you, girlie." Jasper said, though in all honesty, she was still thoroughly confused. "What's its... purpose?" Jasper asked, fidgeting with the arms of the stuffed animal. 

"Well... According to Greg, Steven got it when he was just a baby. Children often receive objects that are soft and cuddly, usually to help them feel protected during the night when they're frightened, or to have as a companion when they're lonely during the day." Pearl explained. Geez, when she said it out loud, it sounded even more absurd. "A-anyway. Apparently he's called 'Mister Zebracat' because Steven didn't know the word for tiger." 

Pearl sure was using a lot of words Jasper didn't fully know the meaning of; but damn, if it wasn't adorable when she rambled like that. So Jasper simply nodded her head in half-understanding. "I got ya... So uh. You brought this for me because... I have nightmares and I'm lonely?" 

Pearl bit her lip. "T-that's only part of the reason! I mean, you know I worry about you and want to take care of you, but I don't want to seem like I'm hovering, either... But it also, um... It just kind of reminded me of you." 

"Oh..." Jasper said. "Can I ask, uh, why?" 

"Well... for starters, just _look_ at it!" Pearl's expression immediately brightened up. "It's orange and covered in stripes, just like you! And you may not know this, but tigers are one of the strongest and fiercest creatures on the planet!" 

"Ah, I see." Jasper snickered, wrapping her arms around Pearl's waist and holding her even closer. "You're trying to flatter me, huh?" 

"Not _trying_ to flatter you, that's just a bonus, heh..." Pearl said, blushing. She placed her hands on top of Jasper's, gently stroking her knuckles. Pearl's own hands looked so small compared to her big, strong ones... Pearl turned her gaze up to the ray of moonlight that cast through the curtains. She spotted the glistening white dot that was Homeworld, but when it was so far away, it just looked like another one of the many stars that scattered the night sky. 

"Well... thanks. I, uh, appreciate the gift." Jasper finally mumbled against her hair, setting the stuffed animal beside them. 

"Of course, love." Pearl said, giving Jasper's hands a little squeeze. "And you know..." Pearl began after a few moments, stroking Jasper's knuckles. "I don't want to pressure you, and... And I understand that you like living on your own. Sometimes, the occasional loneliness is better than dealing with gems and humans, and I know that all too well... But... As always, I still wanted to remind you that if at any time you want to come live at the temple... We have room for you, and we'd _love_ to have you stay with us." 

Jasper let out a sigh. "I know." she said, grabbing one of Pearl's dainty hands and clasping her fingers around it. "And I have thought about it. I think... I'll end up re-joining society again someday, but... For now, I'm not sure I'm ready to leave my comfort zone just yet. I'm just fine with living in the woods, sleeping all day, and hanging out with my girl in the middle of the night." 

"Alright." Pearl smiled sadly. "In the end, it's your choice, not mine. And as long as you still live here, I'll still come to visit you every night. I just wanted to remind you that the offer is still there." 

"Of course." Jasper said. "I won't forget, I promise." 

"Alright..." Pearl said, and rested her head against Jasper's shoulder. A comfortable silence filled the den, and for a moment, Jasper wondered if Pearl had fallen asleep -- until she finally spoke again. "...Do you promise to take good care of Mister Zebracat?" 

Jasper burst into laughter. "Yes, dear, I promise. He's in good hands now."


End file.
